1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to inserting articles such as coupons and prizes into product packages, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for sensing unique items to be inserted into product packages.
2. Description of Related Art
Manufacturers of various snacks, candies, cereals, and other products often desire to place a prize or other object into the container during the packaging process. The terms xe2x80x9cprizexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccouponxe2x80x9d as used herein include any type of insert, coupon, card, sheet, receipt, warranty, premium, cash, or other three dimensional novelty items that can be handled in accordance with the invention described herein. Similarly, the terms xe2x80x9ccontainerxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cpackagexe2x80x9d are used in the broadest possible context to include containers such as boxes, tubs, cans, bags, and vessels of all kinds as well as other prize or coupon receiving means that can be used with the invention described herein. In the prior art, the prizes are typically formed in a bandolier and inserted into the packaging system using an insertion device. For example, the prizes may be formed as a continuous fold of coupons. The continuous fold contains a plurality of pouches that contain coupons and are perforated on each side to allow easy separation. A pair of breaking rollers are adapted to separate adjacent coupons. After the coupons are separated, the individual coupon is directed into the package prior to or during the package filling and sealing process. These coupons are most commonly used with food packages, but the present invention is not limited to food applications.
In one prior art system, the insertion device is placed just upstream of a foreign matter detector before the product is packaged. Product manufacturers often desire to run promotional campaigns in which various unique prizes are randomly placed into the product packages. One particular campaign that has been implemented is that of randomly inserting cash into the packages. In this campaign, a coupon is inserted into each bag with a coupon being randomly replaced with a note, such as a one dollar bill. Because cash has conductive properties it is a prize that is unique as compared to the coupons. A problem has arisen in that the foreign matter detector is activated every time cash passes through the foreign matter detector (FMD). Whenever the FMD is triggered, the system is typically shut down and the operator must determine the cause of the shut down. This substantially reduces the throughput of the system. Not only is the line shut down, but the employees that are operating the product line are aware of the package that contains the cash and may be tempted to remove the cash. One solution to this problem is to shut off the FMD so that it is not used whenever such a promotional campaign is in progress. However, the obvious problem with this solution is that it is not desirable to shut down the FMD because foreign matter may escape undetected until it reaches the final consumer of the product.
Another problem with the prior art systems is that there is no way to monitor the number of unique prizes that have been inserted. Thus, the batch of packages may be shipped to consumers with more or less than the desired amount of unique prizes inserted. For example, problems have arisen in a promotional campaign in which free cars were given away. Instead of inserting 50 unique coupons containing the free car prize, 500 unique coupons were inserted and it was not until consumers started claiming their free cars that the problem was recognized.
Although most systems sense the insertion of every prize or coupon by the insertion device simply to verify that the coupon or prize was inserted, there are no systems in the prior art that allow for distinguishing between the standard coupon or prize and a unique coupon or prize as they are being inserted by the insertion device. Therefore, there is a need for a system that allows cash or other unique prizes to be detected so that an appropriate action may be taken. For example, in promotional campaigns where unique prizes that normally trigger the FMD are randomly inserted into the packages, the system should allow detection of the unique prizes to allow an appropriate signal to be sent to the FMD rather than deactivating the FMD during the entire promotional campaign. The system should allow cash or other unique prizes to be inserted without triggering the FMD and causing the product line to be shut down. The system should provide assurance that foreign matter does not escape undetected. Also, the system should provide a means for detecting and counting the number of unique prizes inserted during a promotional campaign. Furthermore, the system should be easily adaptable to existing insertion devices in current product packaging systems.
The present invention provides for a novel insertion device that is able to detect unique prizes as they are inserted and is easily adaptable to current systems. A number of sensors may be used in conjunction with the inserter to detect the unique prize before it is inserted into a product packaging system. The sensor used will vary depending on the particular application. Sensors that may be used include a capacitive proximity sensor, an inductive proximity sensor, a thickness sensor, a reflectivity sensor, a transmissivity sensor, a stiffness sensor, a color sensor, or even an odor or chemical sensor. Ideally, the type sensor used will detect a feature of the unique prize that is easily distinguishable from other prizes or coupons being inserted. Once the sensor detects the prize and generates a signal, this signal can be used to perform a number of useful functions. In one embodiment of the invention, unique prizes that would ordinarily trigger the FMD are randomly inserted during a promotional campaign. The signal generated by the sensor is used to de-activate the FMD while the unique prizes pass through the FMD, thus allowing the FMD on the product line to remain in operation during the promotional campaign. Upon detecting a unique prize, a signal is sent to the controller for the insertion device to shut down the FMD for a pre-determined period of time to allow the prize to pass through without triggering the FMD. The controller may also increase a counter by one each time one of the unique prizes is detected to keep track of the number of unique prizes inserted. Once the unique prize passes through, the FMD is turned back on so that foreign objects may again be detected. The present invention minimizes the amount of time that the FMD is turned off.